State of Emergency
by Scotsboy92
Summary: The story of how Britain's Prime Minister and his Cabinet dealt with the worst catastrophe in human history.
1. Wake up call

Tony Blair felt a gentle shake on his shoulder, and knew even in his subconscious it meant one of two things. Cherie was getting him up for breakfast, or somewhere, something bad had happened. Unfortunately it was the latter.

"Tony," It was Andrew Turnbull, the Cabinet Secretary. He had a sense of urgency in his voice but whispered nonetheless so as not to wake Cherie. "Tony wake up, we have a situation."

"Andy ?" Tony said surprised, sitting up and rubbing his eyes "What's happened ?"

"Major civil unrest in Cambridge, its pretty bad from what i've been told. Ill get you in the Cabinet Room in five minutes with everyone else." and with that he left the room. Tony got up and dressed in less than two minutes.

"What are we looking at Andy ?" a very tired Tony said as he strolled into the Cabinet Room pulling on his suit jacket as the other bleary eyed and grouchy ministers took their seats.

"We're not sure yet. What we do know is that rioting broke out around Cambridge University at about eight o'clock last night, and has since spread into other parts of the city. Police are struggling to cope, as are the hospitals. There have been casualties but its proving difficult to verify the numbers." The Cabinet Secretary said. "Whatever this is, its not good. Not good at all."

"What kicked it off ?" Blair asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Again, we just don't know. As far as anybody can tell there doesn't seen to even be a reason. Just random acts of violence." Andy replied sipping at his coffee.

"People don't just start rioting, there has to be a reason, they must have demands or something surely to Christ ?" Tony said in bewilderment.

"It could be drugs." The Home Secretary, David Blunket piped up "Speculation, obviously, but i cant think of any other reason. I've been in contact with the Chief Constable in Cambridge. They're spread pretty thin. They've had to start using tear gas, but its having absolutely no effect on the rioters which again makes me think it may be a new drug."

"What are they doing to get the situation under control ?" Tony asked as a clerk quickly strolled into the room with a piece of paper and a cup of tea. The paper read :

**URGENT**

**CONFIDENTIAL**

**CIVIL UNREST CONTINUES TO ESCALATE IN CAMBRIDGE. AMBULANCE SERVICE REPORTING 63 BODIES RECOVERED, MANY MORE LYING IN THE STREET UNABLE TO BE RETRIEVED. SEVERAL POLICE OFFICERS AND PARAMEDICS HAVE JOINED THE RIOTERS AND ARE RIOTING ALONGSIDE THEM. VERY DISTURBING SITUATION, NOT SURE WHAT IS GOING ON.**

**SUMMARY : SITUATION IS ESCALATING AND ASSISTANCE REQUIRED**

**CAMBRIDGESHIRE CONSTABULARY**

"According to this report here, police and paramedics are joining in with the riots. What the hell is going on up there ?" Tony said staring in disbelief at the report. "Something isn't right here."

"It fits in with that the Chief Constable told me before you arrived. Several officers had switched sides. Very disturbing if this is accurate though it could be some idiots dressed up as police trying to cause trouble. And to answer your other question, Prime Minister, the police have withdrawn from the worst affected area's and are cordoning them off and establishing a perimeter. People are being evacuated from their homes in the area's considered most at risk. All off duty officers and special constables have been ordered to report to work immediately to alleviate the manpower shortage, but i don't think it will help much. Officers from Bedfordshire Constabulary are on standby to lend a hand." the Home Secretary said "The situation is still confused at the moment, but we should have a clearer picture in the morning. Hopefully we can get..." He was cut off as the Health Secretary's phone rang. The phone call lasted only a couple of minutes and in those minutes the Secretary's face turned white and he looked genuinely frightened.

When the phone call was over, he looked around the table and finally managed to speak, the shock clearly evident in his voice. "That was the Chief Medical Officer, they've run tests on the rioters held at Addenbrooks Hospital. We...we have a very serious problem."


	2. Outbreak

"Unbelievable." Blair said shaking his head. "Are they sure ? Are they absolutely sure ?"

"Well these were only the preliminary results of the tests, but they have confirmed 100% that this is some kind of virus. More detailed results should be forthcoming in the next twelve hours. The Chief Medical Officer says the implications are very serious. They've never seen anything like it, ever. It's not airborne, they know that for certain. It seems to be transmitted primarily through blood, though most likely saliva as well. The most disturbing thing is that the incubation period is around twenty to thirty seconds." The Health Secretary said, re-reading a report that had just been brought in. "It's highly contagious."

"Has anyone tried reasoning with these people after they've been infected ?" Blair asked.

"Yes, police officers and hospital staff have tried to talk with them after restraining them, but they refuse to cooperate. They don't even talk, they just growl like rabid animals. One doctor described them as acting "possessed". Some were injected with sedatives, but they're not particularly effective and wear off quickly. The infected have even been reported to try and kill or infect other family members." The health secretary answered "Whatever it is, the Chief Medical Officer says he's sure it's not a natural virus and that it must be man-made. The outbreak happened in the vicinity of the university, which has a virology department, which is going to be the first source of investigation."

"This is madness. Any research along those lines should have had government clearance !" Blair almost shouted before downing a third cup of coffee. "How much of Cambridge do we will control ?"

It was the Home Secretary's turn to speak "About 40% is still in the hands of the police service, but they're struggling to hold their positions. At least one police station was stormed and ransacked by these infected lunatics. They're trying to arrest as many as they can and take them to the hospital for treatment, but its becoming an increasingly dangerous and fruitless effort. The Chief Constable is asking for authorization to issue Shoot to Kill orders."

"Granted," Blair said sighing "Ill do down in history as the Prime Minister who told the police to shoot dead sick people. How are they for manpower ?"

"Bad and getting worse" Blunkett said "There are over 200 officers missing, many of whom were responding to incidents and presumable killed, unfortunately. Others have phoned in sick or are in hiding. I've been on the phone to Bedfordshire's Chief Constable and they're going to send in some of their men, but it wont be enough."

"This is an absolute cluster fuck" Blair said, hoping it was all some nasty nightmare. He pressed a button on his speaker phone "Sarah, get in contact with the Chief of the General Staff. I want him here as soon as possible. Send a car for him and tell him its a matter of urgent national security."

"Deploying the army ? You think that's a good idea Tony ?". Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, said.

"Not really, but do we have a choice ? The police are overwhelmed and there are dead bodies lying in the streets for Christ sake. I'm not ordering a general mobilization, just a few hundred soldiers to close the roads and provide assistance to the police. Now, the public will be waking up in a couple of hours and they're going to be demanding answers. The Press Office is already getting calls from all the main networks. We need to give them answers. What the hell are we going to say ?" Blair asked.

"Tell them we have a riot situation in Cambridge, for reasons still unknown, and that it will be brought under control in 24 hours or less." Blunkett said.

"It'll have to do until we can come up with something better. Release a short statement to the press saying something along the lines of "Civil unrest has broken out in parts of Cambridge and there have been some casualties. We strongly advise the public to avoid the area and remain indoors if you are in Cambridge. As a precaution, some armed forces personnel have been dispatched to provide assistance to the police in the unlikely event that the situation escalates". Blair said to his Press Secretary.

**Six hours later, Prime Minister's Office**

Blair was on the phone with George W Bush, who had called concerned for the safety of American citizens in Cambridge and was wanting to know what was going on. He told him honestly, though asked him to keep it quiet until after the press conference. There was a knock on the door after Bush hung up.

"Come in"

"Tony," Andy, the Cabinet Secretary said as he came in "We knew we weren't going to be able to keep this under wraps for long. The media saw through that statement this morning right away. At least being honest will reassure the public to a degree."

Blair laughed, though it wasnt a humorous laugh "You think they'll be reassured when i tell them that there's a disease going around that makes kids, police, doctors and old ladies rip people apart ? The shit is going to hit the fan. Its not going to be pretty."

Andy nodded and went on "We're preparing for that. Police have been put on standby in every major city in the event looting breaks out. I've been in contact with the Ministry of Defence and 5,000 reservists have just been activated as a precaution. Territorial army units will be deployed south of Peterborough and north of Bishops Storford to prevent any infected advancing and armed police are closing down all the roads on the outskirts of Cambridge."

"This just cant be happening." Blair said angrily "I really don't want to ask this but i'm going to have to; what's the latest on casualties ?"

"High." Andy said, reluctant to continue "There's no way to count but we think we're looking at numbers in the tens of thousands, including dead and infected."

"Jesus fucking Christ..." Blair started "Still no luck raising Police HQ in Huntington ?"

"Nope, they've been off the air for four hours now." Andy replied "We've lost the airport, and it appears the hospitals are overrun as well. Cambridge has been designated a hostile territory by Army Command, not publicly though, obviously."

"They're ready for you, Prime Minister" his private secretary Sarah said, popping her head in the door.

"Certainly," Tony said standing up and straightening his tie "Lets get this over with."

Two minutes later Blair walked up to the podium as a gaggle of photographers took photo's and reporters sat eagerly waiting on what he had to say.

The Prime Minister spoke up : "At 8 o'clock last night, police in Cambridge received a series of 999 calls alerting them to civil unrest in the vicinity of Cambridge University. Over the next few hours that unrest spread across the city causing a number of fatalities and damage to property." Blair said, then took in a breath and continued "What i'm about to say is disturbing, so i ask that you all remain calm, and understand that things will be brought under control in a timely manner. The Chief Medical Officer has been in contact with me since the early hours of this morning, and has confirmed to me what i'm about to tell you. There has been an outbreak of a new, and unknown virus in the Cambridge area. The virus is highly contagious, with an incubation period of between 20 and 30 seconds. It is not airborne, as far as we know, but rather it is passed through blood and other body fluids. Symptoms include bouts of extreme, uncontrollable aggression, severe muscle spasms, vomiting blood and red colouring of the eyes. Anyone infected with this virus will attack any person in sight, including friends, family and total strangers. This virus is directly responsible for last nights rioting across Cambridge. In response to this outbreak, i am declaring a state of emergency in Cambridgeshire and dispatching the armed forces to protect lives and property. Cambridge has been designated a quarantine zone until further notice so that we can contain the spread of this infection. Please remain calm, do not panic. The situation is under control, and we fully expect everything to be returned to normal soon. Now if you excuse me, there is much work to be done. No questions".


	3. Decisions, Decisions

**Eight days later**

The cabinet office was smokey, and most of the ministers hadn't even bothered to iron their shirts or put a tie on. A few had been pouring glasses of whiskey which were greedily gobbled down. Not enough to get drunk, but enough to take the edge off for a bit.

"What time is Tony due back from his little morale booster to the troops ?" asked John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister.

"Dont know. Later on, i suppose." Charles Clarke, the new Home Secretary replied. He had replaced David Blunkett when he resigned a few days previous.

"That's helpful Charlie, really" Prescott said annoyed "Fuck sake, lets just get on with it without him then, we'll fill him in later. So what's the situation to the north ? More fucked, or less fucked than it was an hour ago ?"

"More fucked." Geoff Hoon, Defence Secretary replied glumly "Tony's doing a good thing going up there and visiting the troops, but its not going to stop the infected. The situation in the Millennium Dome is getting worse by the day, its something we really need to look into..."

"The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee's said it looked like a bloody concentration camp when he visited yesterday." The Foreign Secretary Jack Straw spoke up angrily "What are you people doing about it for Christ sake ?" he directed the question to the Home Secretary.

"What the fuck are you pinning the blame on me for Jack ?" Charles reacted angrily "The country is on the verge of collapse ! There are probably millions dead nationwide and the Pound is only useful for wiping your arse with ! We cant help everybody and deal with everything. I know there have been murders and rapes at the Dome, i know that the army has strung barbed wire around it to pen people in and that sanitation has practically collapsed but we dont have the resources to look after the 50,000 or so poor bastards living in there."

"There will be riots. We cant lock thousands of people in there ! i know we cant let 50,000 refugees loose on the streets but at least we can provide for them or..." Jack was cut off as Charles launched into another tirade of abuse.

"Are you delusional ? Do you even know whats happening out there ? Where in the name of Christ would we get the food, water, medicine and accommodation to look after those people if they dispersed all over London ? We're not getting any more food deliveries in from the north, and only a trickle from the south. We're relying mostly on international aid being flown in, but its not enough. We cant help everybody, thats a fact. So accept it. I hate it too but thats where we are." Charles replied downing a glass of whiskey.

There was silence for a moment before the Chief of the Defence Staff, Lord Bryce, spoke "You're all forgetting the most important thing. We're going to lose London. We know that as a fact now. The ground forces are stretched to breaking point, and our blockades in North London wont hold forever. The men will hold till the last to protect the capital, but they can only delay, not stop the infected. We need to evacuate. Now."

"If we start evacuating its going to cause chaos not just in London, but all over the country. The public will think we have given up, they'll lose hope." Prescott replied.

"They've already lost hope John ! And for God sake think of the chaos there will be if the infected get into London and we haven't evacuated ? Millions of people will be at their mercy. We dont have a choice, you know..." The Chief of Staff was interrupted as Tony Blair came into the room and took his seat.

"What's it like out there now ?" Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown asked.

"The street's are quiet mostly. A lot of people are staying inside now that the army is patrolling the streets. Declaring martial law seems to have worked. Its a mess though, bins are unemptied or scattered, cars are abandoned in the streets and almost every shop is shuttered or looted." Tony said, wondering just how the hell it had come to this, then asked "So what have i missed ?"

"We've just been discussing evacuating London." Lord Bryce said. "We have already drawn up plans in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police, Red Cross and local council's as well as the bus and train companies for such an event. Prime Minister, ill put it bluntly, we cannot save London. Its too big, and our numbers too small. We have only a small window of opportunity to evacuate the population from the city before we lose our defences in the north. We need to start right now."

Tony Blair pondered for a moment "Is it even possible ? How long would it take ?"

"It's possible but under these circumstances who knows how long it will take ? Thousands of people have already left using the train stations and airports or just driven out already. That will reduce the pressure of us a bit at least. We will take over all buses, taxi's and train's and the airlines, even tourist helicopters and boats on the Thames will be called into service. Police vans and Bedford army lorries will also help ferry people out of the city." Lord Bryce said "I'm confident it can be done if we act quickly."

"How long till the infected are in the city ?" Blair asked, knowing all too well he wouldn't like the answer.

"Judging by our satellite imagery, we're estimating two days at most before they're upon the blockades in the north of London. We need to start moving people out now. Every minute we waste costs lives."

"And where are these people going to go ? I know there are camps springing up in Ireland and France, but we're talking about several million people here that need housed, clothed and fed." Blair asked in dismay.

"Some will be sent to other countries, the ones that still haven't closed their borders yet, others will be housed in temporary camps in Devon, Cornwall and Kent. We're also trying to open up evacuation routes into Wales." Lord Bryce replied.

Blair though for a few moments, then made his decision.

"Do it."


	4. 14 Days Later

_Day 14_

The Culture Secretary, Chris Smith, skimmed through a fax he had just received, and looked almost relieved.  
"Finally some good news. All the main exhibits at the National Gallery have been loaded on army lorries and are on their way to out of the city. They're putting them in one of the old reserve bunkers. Also, the Imperial War Museum has boxed up most of their exhibits and have moved what they can into the basement and locked up the building. We probably wont be able to save everything, but this is a good step to..."

"Well isnt that just fucking dandy Chris ?" The Home Secretary Charles Clarke said angrily "We're wasting resources on fucking pictures ? We could use those lorries to get people out of the city !"

"Charlie, i get where you're coming from, but we also need to preserve our heritage, our history !" Chris said.

"Enough," Blair said rubbing his head, he hadnt had any more than eight hours sleep in the past week. "Lets just focus on the matter at hand. Getting as many people out of London as possible. The evacuation goes into full swing tomorrow morning at 6:30 am, all the collection points are set up and manned and the vehicles are in place ive been told. Its ready to go. The airports are on standby and the Navy and the Coast Guard have boats in the Thames to lend a hand too. At least 70,000 people have already driven into the countryside, so that's a bit of a relief for us."

The Chief of the Defence Staff spoke next "My men will defend London till the last bullet in order to allow the evacuation the time it needs to succeed, but bare in mind we are suffering from a major manpower shortage due to casualties and desertion. The blockades defending the north of London wont hold out long under sustained attack. Our plan is to empty North London first then barricade the bridges over the Thames an hold out there whilst South London evacuates."

"Excellent General, that will be a massive help." Blair said "We also have the situation in Birmingham to deal with too. How long can they hold ?"

"The evacuation of Birmingham is still ongoing, but its a mess. The roads are at a standstill, the airport is in chaos...we cant hold the city for long. We're estimating about half the population has been evacuated now but there are still well over 200,000 people trapped in the city. We cant save everyone. We're expecting massive civilian casualties that will dwarf Cambridge and Peterborough combined." The Chief of the Defence Staff said. "The biggest problem we face, and i'm not trying to sound heartless, is that those 200,000 people we are estimating to lose in Birmingham, will become 200,000 enemies we will have to face. The more we save, the less infected there will be. "

"Jesus Christ," Blair started, putting his head in his hands "200,000...unbelievable"

"If we weren't evacuating London and Birmingham at the same time it wouldn't have been as much of a problem," the Transport Secretary said, looking a report he had been handed "I'm reading here that the majority of our available army transport lorries and bus and train networks have been focused on getting people out of London. We have no choice but to prioritize the evacuation of London over Birmingham. First and foremost, there are more people in London and every person we save, is one less that becomes infected and subsequently a threat to us. Then of course it would be crushing to the nations morale, what is left of it, to see the infected killing thousands of people in the streets of London. We cant allow that to happen."

"Agreed." Blair said "Jack, do you have any updates on our allies response ?"

"The UN is discussing a naval blockade and no fly zone to prevent the virus reaching the continent. They will not interfere with RAF or RN operations but will prevent civilian craft entering UK airspace and waters. NATO wont commit to boots on the ground other than spec ops, as expected, but we believe they will take the lead in the quarantine operation. They're not telling us much though, i think they've written us off. Bastards." Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary said "Specialized teams from various countries are going to in evacuate their citizens caught behind infected lines, and more than likely gain samples of the infection for study. Also, ive been speaking with the American Ambassador, they're pulling their embassy staff from London tonight and relocating to their consulate in Edinburgh for safety reasons. Most of the embassies are now evacuating actually."


	5. Evacuation

_"Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! Even though it be a cross that raiseth me; Still all my song shall be nearer, my God, to Thee..."_ BBC Radio 1 was making its final broadcast from London as the city evacuated en mass. Someone at Broadcasting House had thought it fitting, given it was the same song that the band on the Titanic allegedly played as the ship made its decent into the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Now London was the sinking ship.

"This really is it, isnt it ?" Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary said, holding back tears as he looked out the window's of the Cabinet Room.

Tony Blair, standing beside him, also holding back tears as they listened to the BBC's farewell broadcast could only nod. Besides Blair and Clarke, the only other two people in the room were Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon and Chief of the Defence Staff, Lord Bryce. The other members of the government had been flown out of the city the previous day, and some had taken it upon themselves to desert their posts and flee with their families. The Deputy Prime Minister had resigned and gone to Ireland, and the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was missing, with the last reported sighting of him swinging from a lamppost in Croydon after a baying crowd who had not been evacuated due to a lack of transport dragged him from his car and lynched him.

"We did all we could, sir" the Chief of Staff, Bryce said, sitting down with a cigar, his military uniform still in pristine condition. "We got the Queen out without incident, we saved many hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions lives in the past few days."

"That we did." Tony conceded, still looking out the window watching the helicopters buzz back and forth in the bright blue summer sky, with the crackle of automatic gunfire in the distance. Blair turned around for a moment to face him "I cant thank you enough for making sure my family got to Scotland safely". The Chief of Staff only nodded.

Charles Clarke, still looking glumly out the window spoke again, his voice holding, barely "The hospitals have been cleared, mostly. The patients have been moved to other hospitals on the coast or taken home by their families. A few were given a lethal injection by staff, those who couldn't be moved obviously. The City itself has been emptied of civilians, thankfully. The army is still moving people out of South London, but our defences on the Thames should hold long enough to give them time to evacuate the remaining population. Some people have refused to leave. Im not going to risk soldiers lives by sending them into enemy territory to rescue some stubborn idiots. They want to stay then its their funeral."

Blair only nodded. There was nothing to say.

"The command post in York is now set up." Geoff Hoon said joining Blair at the window as BBC radio 1 turned to nothing but static "Its only a temporary measure, we'll retake London." He tried to reassure the Prime Minister, now a broken shell of a man and aging well beyond his years.

"At what cost ?" Blair began "So many people have..." before he could finish the sentence a young SAS lieutenant burst into the room. "Sir, its time to go, we cant wait any longer. We've lost the checkpoints in Watford and Harrow. Heavy casualties. The enemy is advancing at pace southwards towards the river. ETA to enemy arrival: 20 minutes. We have rearguard units attempting to stall them, but they cant hold for long. We have a helicopter waiting at Horseguards. We have to leave NOW !"

Blair thought about protesting, but decided against it. Sure he could hide in the bunker under Downing Street, but what good would that do anybody ?

Blair took one last look around as they exited the building, watching as the famous black door closed one last time. He wondered if he would be the last Prime Minister to walk out that door. The thought was almost overwhelming.

An SAS squad and several members of S01 Specialist Protection police escorted the PM and remaining government ministers into waiting cars where they made the short drive from Downing Street to Horseguards Parade Ground. Blair and his colleagues were escorted into the helicopter where they could hear the ever increasing panic coming over the radio's of the soldiers. It was clear that London was falling. As the helicopter ascended into the sky and made its way northwards, the passengers could see stranded Londoners waving from their rooftops or on top of abandoned buses and lorries, hoping for rescue. Rescue that would not come.

"My God, look at that" Blair said gazing out the window as they flew over the M25 motorway. It was jam packed with abandoned cars and fires burnt in many places where the army had tried to make a stand, and paid the ultimate price. Blair made a mental note to put every man who stood and defended London up to receive the Victoria Cross.

"Sir, we will be in York shortly, everything is set up and ready to go. Everyone is there waiting for you. The Queen will want to speak to you on the phone when you arrive. She will be in Balmoral shortly." The head of the Specialist Protection informed the PM, who silently nodded, staring at the horrific scenes of destruction on the ground below. His country. This had happened to his country. On his watch.

There would be no forgiveness. From the public, or from himself.


	6. York

York, England - National Command Centre, York City Hall__

"...wearing leather or rubber gloves and protective goggles when forced to confront the infected or when clearing infected bodies. Remember, do not fight the infected unless there is absolutely no other choice, _run away if you can. If forced to confront an infected attacker, keep your distance and try and knock them down with a cricket bat or similarly long weapon and make your escape. If you are trapped in your home, do not phone 999, all emergency call centres are disconnected until further notice as they cannot cope with demand. Instead, Hang a white sheet from your window marked with the number of people inside the residence to signal to search and rescue teams that you are trapped inside. Remain calm..."_

Blair clicked off the radio. He had to wonder, how many white sheets marked with numbers were fluttering from peoples windows ? It was poor advice, but it was the best they could come up with. The National Emergency Broadcast Service had been updating the British public on the catastrophe for the past three days. The NEBS was an amalgamation of the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and the various radio stations across the UK. The Home Office had placed all broadcasting under government control until "the situation clears".

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in" Blair said, staring at the pile of reports mounting on his desk, not bothering to read them.

"Tony," it was Charlie, the Home Secretary "We just lost Stockport. Its going to hit Manchester anytime now. The army is evacuating as many people as they can, but most of the city is cut off. We're estimating casualties will number in the tens of thousands.

Blair looked up, his frown bringing out his wrinkles that hadn't been all that noticeable until the last week. He had aged ten years in two weeks. "What do we have to hold the infected back ?"

"Tony, um," he stumbled for words "We don't have anything. Every reservist has been called up. Every active duty soldier has been deployed. Our forces are so overstretched that we are effectively abandoning huge tracts of the country to the infected. We're giving policemen and even traffic wardens guns just to keep the law in the places we still control. We cant spare any troops to send to Manchester or we risk losing ground elsewhere. We're going to lose Manchester. Tonight, maybe tomorrow. At best we can hope to save as many people as we can, but we will lose more than we can save. The rest of the cabinet agrees now that its time to cut our losses. We cant save the country, but we can save thousands, maybe millions of lives is we begin evacuating the island now. The plans have been drawn up. "

"Oh Charlie...how did it come to this ?" Blair said as a tear slipped down his cheek "Mobs of lunatics rampaging in Manchester, the government deserting London...how did it come to this ?"

Charlie didn't say anything, there really wasn't anything to be said. The silence as broken when the Prime Minister's private secretary came in, without knocking, which was unusual.

"Prime Minister, sir ?" Sarah started.

"Sarah, dear, Tony will do just fine now. We can dispense with the formalities after all that's happened." Blair said, trying his best to force a smile.

"Tony, Balmoral just contacted me on the private line. The Queen died twenty minutes ago. Suspected heart attack."

Blair just sank back in his cheer and said nothing. He just poured himself another drink of Scotch.

"Tony, we need to think of what we're going to say to the public." Sarah said watching him pour his drink "And that wont help" she grabbed the drink off him, surprising even her self at her bravery towards her boss.

"I'm sorry." Blair relented, looking at the floor, feeling useless and defeated "I guess we need to tell them something. Ill be in the radio room in half an hour."

Half an hour later

_"It is my duty as your Prime Minister to report to the British people that Queen Elizabeth passed away early this morning due a stress related heart attack. The death of our Queen today serves as a reminder how truly horrible our country's predicament is. Everything we know is being ripped away from us, but we must stand firm and united, as one, and face this tragedy together. I have met with my cabinet and senior military officials and we have come to a decision; it was agreed that this virus cannot be allowed to spread any further. I have ordered a mandatory evacuation for all citizens living south of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the North York Moors, and the Lake District. Those evacuated will be taken to temporary accommodation in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern areas of England, as well refugee camps in Europe. This decision was taken under advice i have received from both military and medical professionals regarding this virus. The simple fact is, if we remove the potential hosts of the virus, i.e., the public, and take them someplace safe, further north, the virus will have no one to infect as it cannot spread any further without more hosts, eventually it will burn itself out. Then we can begin to rebuild our nation, it will take years, perhaps decades, it will take perseverance and patience, it will take teamwork and community spirit. It will take faith. We can do it, we will do it, together. We have already gotten through the worst i believe_."


	7. The Fading Light

The command centre in York City Hall was as one surviving military official put it : "a bloody madhouse." None of the operators manning the radio equipment or monitoring the computers bothered to stand for the Prime Minister when he walked in the room, or even acknowledge his existence. Not that he minded, after all, they were focused on an important job. Blair caught snippets of the various conversations the radio operators were having. None of it was good.  
_  
"...how the hell would i know what's going on in Hull ? Send a recon team if you really need to know..."_

"Well where is the 52nd infantry ? They were supposed to be engaging in a rear guard campaign from Manchester to Carlisle ?...what the fuck do you mean they're "on strike ?!"

_"Is that confirmed ? We've lost Blackburn ?..."_

_"...Harrowgate refugee camp has been compromised. Harrowgate is now considered hostile territory, say again, Harrowgate is a hostile territory..."_

_"...RAF Brize Norton, this is York Field Command come in, RAF Brize Norton do you copy ? RAF Brize Norton, come in. Brize Norton, is anyone there?..."_  
_  
"...tell the plods to move aside and let the professionals do their job. Daft coppers should be issuing parking tickets, not playing soldier !"_

"Sorry, Sergeant, cant spare the fuel for cremations. Just dump the corpses in the nearest church, keep the dogtags for the families..."

"...well martial law is in effect, just run the bloody protesters over if they get in the way !"

Blair looked around the control room as the soldiers and officers went about their jobs whilst he stood there holding a cup of tea. He felt so alone and isolated even with all these people around. He felt irrelevant. Increasingly the military command was in charge of the country, and martial law ruled the streets.

"Tony," a voice behind him said, startling him.

"What is it Charlie ?" Blair asked his Home Secretary.

"Can i have a word with you in private ?"

"Sure, Charlie." Blair said finishing his tea "Its not like im busy anyway. This lot have it covered." he motioned to the army personnel.

Back in Blair's cramped office Charlie broke down in tears.

"Charlie, whats the matter ? Christ man pull yourself together..."

"She's dead. Carol. She's dead." Charlie said. "I should have been with her..."

"Wait a minute, you dont know that for sure. With things the way they are anything's possible..." Tony didnt get a chance to finish his sentence.

"I got through to her on the phone ten minutes ago. She was at the refugee camp in Hull. The boats weren't loading fast enough and the infected were at the docks...i heard her scream. I heard my Carol die on the bloody phone."

"Oh god, Charlie." Blair said sympathetically. "What about the kids ?"

"They're safe. They're up in Aberdeen, she sent them up on bus to her uncles place when this all first started." Charlie said, grateful that at least his kids were safe.

**12 hours later**

"Move, move it ! We have to go now !" a uniformed soldier with Sergeants stripes screeched above the sound of gunfire coming from a few streets away.

"I thought we had longer ? We cant lose York as well !" Blair said to General Michael Walker who was now accompanying him as they rushed through York City Hall to a nearby helicopter.

"Intelligence flopped, obviously. Communications are failing across the country. We didnt expect to lose York so soon. We dont have enough men to hold the city." General Walker said above the din of the helicopter. "I'll see you in Edinburgh Tony. Goodbye and good luck." and with that the General slammed the chopper door shut and watched as the Prime Minister and his few remaining members of cabinet ascended into the summer sky and took off for Scotland. It would be the last time Blair saw the General. He decided to fight to the last with his men, rather than get on the next helicopter.

Once again he was in a helicopter fleeing from an enemy who's existence only a few weeks earlier was confined to horror films. Once again he had failed in his duty as Prime Minister to protect the nation. One by one Britain's cities were going dark : London, Cambridge, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham, York, Gloucester, Cardiff, Plymouth...the list went on and on. Nobody knew how many had died, but an initial estimate by the UN placed the death toll at over 25 million by that point.

All over Britain, the lights were going out.


End file.
